


The Burden of Age

by NotRoyalty



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 04:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotRoyalty/pseuds/NotRoyalty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rory's time as a roman catches up with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Burden of Age

No one but Rory seemed to realize that he was older than the Doctor. He had waited all that time for Amy, yes, but now? he was so, so old. His body was young, but from time to time he would stop and feel as if time was hurtling out of control and passing him by too fast. 

But then, it kind of was. With the Doctor in the TARDIS, time was anything but in control. The Doctor seemed so young as he was flying around the fairytale control room flipping levers and turning switches, but after Amy had gone, he would stop running and Rory would see it: the ages finally fall on his shoulders. 

That’s when Rory knew they needed each other. 

The Doctor flipped one last switch and then turned to sit down, but saw Rory sitting there on the steps.

Neither moved for a moment until the Doctor sat down beside Rory and stared with him at the backside of the TARDIS door.

“You remember it, don’t you? All those years guarding Amy,” the Doctor said, sadness his voice.

“Yeah,” Rory replied, nodding.

“Rory,” the Doctor began, turning to him, “I’m sorr-”

“Doctor,” Rory said, cutting off his apology, “being the same age as me you should know, it’s not so bad.”

The Doctor stopped, mouth open, and lost sadness in his eyes. 

“I got to experience the Renaissance first hand, Doctor,” Rory whispered, smiling a little and bumping his shoulder on the Doctor’s. “Leonardo Da Vinci visited me. I got to meet Leonardo freaking Da Vinci.”

“He was a nice bloke,” the Doctor said, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

“You met him too?” Rory asked, watching the Doctor light up at the memory of one of the many people he’d met in his years.

“I did,” the Doctor said, smiling at Rory. “Weird hat. Weird, but cool.”

“That’s why living for two thousand years isn’t so bad,” Rory said solemnly. “It’s worth it for the people you share things with.”

The Doctor smiled, wrapping his arm around Rory’s shoulder. 

That was why no one realized Rory was older than the Doctor; it was something he shared with the Doctor alone. They really understood each other in that way, and whenever either felt the weight of the years dragging him down, the other would remind him of all the reasons all the time was worth living.

It was worth it because they got to share it with each other.

**Author's Note:**

> For roryponed on tumblr.


End file.
